With regard to religion, I can understand why many people get a bit ticked about the seemingly constant, in your face brand of Christianity prevalent on the zone (and most place else to be fair)these days. Like Scott says only Christians tend to see the need to evangelise anywhere and everywhere (and mostly unsolicited)and it gets a bit much at times. That is not what I come here for. Sorry if that offends anyone but there it is.

With regard to the original thread topic, this is truly a disaster and makes me realise how very lucky I am that all I have to worry about is religion being discussed on a music forum.

On the news today I saw a young couple carrying their children in their arms after having searched for them for over 24hrs. 'How lucky they are' I thought.... until the newscaster told us the children were in fact dead.

These are real people who are carrying home their dead children / wives / husbands and that is only if they have managed to find the bodies in the first place. The agony must be unimaginable and is heartbreaking.

Like Scott says we must all do what we can to help. It is not too often I get to feel proud of my country these days but in less than a week the British public have already collected in excess of £45 million (about $85 million) to aid the disaster fund. The organisers say that donations are currently coming in at the rate of about £1million an hour.

It proves to me that at times like these we can and should be able to put aside all our differences and pull together to help those who need it..... no strings, no judgements, no politics or religion, just human beings helping each other to get through the toughest of times.

If I had a real wish for 2005 it would be that we could all learn to conduct ourselves with the same love, compassion and concern in the good times as well as the bad.

Best wishes
Tony